"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone"

Spring is Here

Finally, the cold and windy days of winter have passed by, and we are entering the spring season! The clouds are starting to part and we can finally see the sun! Trust me, if you live in Auburn, you would understand that it’s not every day we get to see the sun and feel the warmth that it brings. The past week has been awfully sunny–I feel that it’s as if the sun is trying to apologize for the horrible weather we had in the winter!

Now that spring is here, flowers are starting to bloom, and with that, comes a lot of interesting festivals and events. Now, I have to admit, there’s not exactly that many stuff to do in the Auburn area, however, there are a lot of things to do in the surrounding neighborhoods and in Washington state in general.

SKAGIT VALLEY TULIP FESTIVAL
I went over to the Skagit Valley Tulip fields last year, and so I can definitely attest to the wonder of the tulips. The festival has been around for about 30 years or so, and it is held from April 1-30. Every spring, hundreds of thousands of people celebrate the blooming of the tulips, and the festival is designed in such a way that it’s actually a driving tour for the visitors. Trust me when I say this, the tulips are everywhere and there isn’t exactly one place that you have to go to, you’re supposed to see all the wonderful tulips. Also, if you decide to see the tulips, be sure to stop by La Conner, the Washington State Weekend Getaway Vacation! It is basically this small town in Skagit County (close to where the tulip fields are), and it hosts most of the Skagit Tulip Festival Events. It’s worth a stop–there are many interesting stores down there! For more information about the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, click here, and for more information about La Conner, click here.

Taken at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL
There will be music, arts and crafts–basically all types of activities for people of all ages. It is held annually at the Seattle Center on the Memorial Day weekend, and the best thing is that it’s free! Donations are, however, encouraged. Each year, the festival focuses on a particular culture–they call this the ‘Cultural Focus.’ This way, we can all learn more about a particular group or community, and it encourages bonding and also makes us more culturally knowledgeable. For more information, click here.

WORLD RHYTHM FESTIVAL
For those of you who are musically inclined, this might be the event for you. There will be three days of a variety of world musical traditions, ranging from North American, Middle-Eastern, African, Asian, and many more. The activities include live performances, workshops and also a Carnival Finale! This event will be held from April 12-14, and for more information, click here.

CHERRY BLOSSOM AND JAPANESE CULTURAL FESTIVAL
If you’re interested in the Japanese culture, come to this event! This event basically celebrates the Japanese Culture (I guess because there’s a lot of Japanese people in Seattle?) and also, the US-Japan relations. There will be Arts and Crafts booths, traditional Japanese Cuisine, exhibits, performances, games, and last but not least, a special cherry tree planting ceremony! This event will be held from April 26-28, and for more information, click here.

SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (SIFF)
SIFF is probably one of the biggest and most influential film festivals in the world, with more than 160,000 visitors. There will be 25 days of film screening, and it features over 400 short films from over 70 different countries. Besides screening, there will also be Q&A sessions, forums, and also workshops. This event will be held from May 16 to June 9, and for more information, click here.

Of course, there are definitely more things to do than just the ones listed above. Personally, I’m very excited; I’ve been to the tulip festival, but I’ve never been to the Northwest Folklife Festival before. I’m expecting a lot from it, and I hope it won’t disappoint!